ATTENTION, FAKE!

(этот пост является переводом предыдущего поста на английский язык)

Eight years ago, I posted on my blog that a Vietnamese citizen was selling a so-called "miracle program" called All PLC and HMI Crack, which had a ridiculously ugly green interface that made it instantly recognizable:

Versions 4.2 and 2.2 are actually identical

The program goes by many names: "PLC HMI Password Crack," "PLC - HMI Password Decryption," "PLC HMI Password Unlock," "Crack All PLC HMI," "PLC HMI Keyword," and so on. I initially doubted that it worked, but various users started telling me in the comments that it was not fake and could actually crack something. So, after all these years, I suddenly found this program available for free, downloaded it, and tried to crack some basic things (for example, opening a password-protected S7-200 project). And it actually worked. However, there is an important thing to understand: similar cracks have been around for a long time and are no big secret. Still, at least we have confirmation that the program is real — and that is exactly what attracts potential buyers. It seems that if the old version is real, the new ones must be too.

Then I found an entire website, unlockplcbd.com, dedicated to this scam. Look at these wonderful ad brochures that the developer is showing off:

Advertising PDF #1

Advertising PDF #2

  

 

He really tried! He clearly hired a designer, because given the program's shabby green appearance, the author could not have made such PDFs himself. However, these PDFs have some obvious flaws that alone should give the scam away. For example, if you open these two documents, you might notice one very strange detail: the description of version 5.3 claims it can crack Siemens S7-200 Smart controllers, but for some reason, version 5.7 no longer includes those controllers — though it does include the S7-300, S7-400, and even the S7-1200. Where did the S7-200 Smart go? Probably the scammer simply forgot to copy that mention when designing the new brochure. The version 5.3 brochure also mentions Koyo controllers, but they are also missing from version 5.7. These strange, illogical moments should raise immediate suspicion.
 

Now let's move on to our hero of the day. Here he is:

 

As you can see, the phone number is published right in the program: +8801758432841. This is done deliberately so you have no doubt that it is the author communicating with you on WhatsApp — not some other scammer. Although, in fact, the author is the scammer.

Now, the most important part: what is the scammer selling? Nothing! After receiving the money, he sends a RAR archive containing the same old program that he wrote many years ago. Here is how the scam works: he originally sold this program, but at some point, buyers leaked it online, making it freely available. Instead of losing money, the scammer turned this situation into a profit. He started creating advertising PDFs for non-existent new versions of the program. His old software — now freely available because it was leaked — became a kind of "demo version" for these fake new releases.

So now, the scammer does not need to develop anything. He simply creates fake brochures for non-existent versions, collects payments, and vanishes — leaving the victim with an old, freely available program. 

Here is his program, which you can easily find online: link 
(Mirror: link)
And here is the program this scammer sent me after payment: link 
(Mirror: link)

As you can see, there is no difference — the version he sold is 4.2, though it is actually no different from version 2.2. What is more, the scammer did not even bother to fix the "About" window, so in version 4.2, that window shows version 2.3, and the software name does not match either:

 

The versions 5.3 and 5.7 that the scammer advertises in his brochures do not exist. There are only fake screenshots on his website:

 

All his advertising brochures and pseudo-screenshots are a scam. Furthermore, for those unwilling to pay him 500,thescammeroffersa500,thescammeroffersa300 option that supposedly cracks just one controller model, for example, the Siemens S7-1200. Naturally, that is also a scam.

In addition to his fancy website, the author posts videos on YouTube and spreads false information about his program on other sites.

Don't trust scammers — save your money )).